St. Deogratius
Deogratias of Carthage
Feast day: March 22
Death: 457
Bishop of Carthage in 454, succeeding St. Quodvultdeus. The Vandal king, Geiseric, rought many Italian captives to Carthage, and Deogratius ransomed them. He was reportedly slain by Arian heretics.
The ancient calendar of Carthage places his feast on January 5. In 439, Arian Vandals seized Carthage and threw out its bishop, Saint Quodvultdeus. For 14 years the city was without a chief pastor. Then the Arian leader Genseric relented and allowed the Christians there to make a priest named Deogratias their bishop in 456. Two years later Genseric took Rome and removed from the city hundreds of captives.
Genseric and his dejected captives returned to Africa, where whole Christian families were split up and given to Vandals and Moors as slaves. Deogratias determined to free them. The only possible method was to ransom them. For this purpose the bishop sold everything he possibly could, including the rich gold and silver plate of the church and many precious ornaments. He managed to ransom so many families that there were not enough rooms in Carthage to house them. Undeterred, Bishop Deogratias gave them rooms inside his churches. Each day he made sure that they were properly fed, until they could once again look after themselves. And, although he was decrepit with age, each day he visited the sick to comfort them.
Many Arians resented the saint's work and a number tried--and failed--to kill him. Nonetheless he died, worn out by his enormous labors, after only one year as a bishop
Deogratias of Carthage
Feast day: March 22
Death: 457
Bishop of Carthage in 454, succeeding St. Quodvultdeus. The Vandal king, Geiseric, rought many Italian captives to Carthage, and Deogratius ransomed them. He was reportedly slain by Arian heretics.
The ancient calendar of Carthage places his feast on January 5. In 439, Arian Vandals seized Carthage and threw out its bishop, Saint Quodvultdeus. For 14 years the city was without a chief pastor. Then the Arian leader Genseric relented and allowed the Christians there to make a priest named Deogratias their bishop in 456. Two years later Genseric took Rome and removed from the city hundreds of captives.
Genseric and his dejected captives returned to Africa, where whole Christian families were split up and given to Vandals and Moors as slaves. Deogratias determined to free them. The only possible method was to ransom them. For this purpose the bishop sold everything he possibly could, including the rich gold and silver plate of the church and many precious ornaments. He managed to ransom so many families that there were not enough rooms in Carthage to house them. Undeterred, Bishop Deogratias gave them rooms inside his churches. Each day he made sure that they were properly fed, until they could once again look after themselves. And, although he was decrepit with age, each day he visited the sick to comfort them.
Many Arians resented the saint's work and a number tried--and failed--to kill him. Nonetheless he died, worn out by his enormous labors, after only one year as a bishop
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